Secretary Hilda

The Senate has confirmed Rep. Hilda Solis as Secretary of Labor by a vote of 80-17. Now that that's over with, all of the politicians who've been patiently positioning themselves to run for higher office once she got the job can begin their campaigning. (New York Times via LA Observed)

A tax on the White House

A new revelation of tax troubles could trip up the already wobbly nomination of Rep. Hilda Solis, D-El Monte, to be Secretary of Labor. USA Today discovered that on Wednesday Solis' husband paid about $6,400 in back taxes to settle a lien on his auto repair business. On Thursday, a vote on her nomination was put on hold. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Solis remains the president's choice for the job.

Were Solis to withdraw her name, a whole host of California politicians would be stuck doing the jobs they were recently elected to do.

Chu gets labor support

Two of the most powerful unions in Southern California, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and Service Employees International Union, have endorsed state Board of Equalization chairwoman Judy Chu to succeed Rep. Hilda Solis in Congress, assuming Solis is confirmed as President Obama's secretary of labor.

The endorsements give Chu an early advantage over state Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-East Los Angeles, who also plans to run for the seat.

Romero drops out*, **

The pathway to Congress just got a little easier for Judy Chu - or a little harder, depending on how you view it.

According to the Sacramento Bee, state Sen. Gloria Romero has pulled her name from contention in the coming race to replace Rep. Hilda Solis and will instead support the candidacy of fellow state Sen. Gil Cedillo.

Romero said she'll move ahead with plans to run next year for state Superintendent of Public Instruction.

With Romero out, Cedillo presumably will have an easier time unifying the Latino vote in the heavily Latino district. Politico.com had a story yesterday that Romero and Cedillo might split the Latino vote and throw the election to Chu.

Chu, who chairs the state Board of Equalization, might still have the advantage in the district. She has has the endorsement of a couple important Latino electeds and has represented portions of the 32nd Congressional District in the Assembly.

All of the aforementioned politicians are Democrats, by the way. CD 32 is a safe Democratic seat.

Solis, by the way, is President-elect Obama's nominee for Secretary of Labor.

*Note: Solis is scheduled to go before the Senate for her confirmation hearing tomorrow (Jan. 9).

**Update: Sen. Cedillo confirms what everyone already knew, that he's running for the Solis seat. Read the press release here.

Politico looks at Solis seat*

David Mark, former political reporter at the Pasadena Star-News, now writing for Politico, takes a look at the race to replace Rep. Hilda Solis, who is President-elect Obama's pick for Labor Secretary. Mark thinks Judy Chu, chair of the state Board of Equalization, will benefit from a split in the Latino vote.

From the story:

In the special House election to succeed Rep. Hilda L. Solis (D-Calif.), who was recently tapped to become the Obama administration’s labor secretary, former Monterey Park Mayor Judy Chu stands to gain from a potentially crowded field of prominent Latino officeholders that could divide the Hispanic vote and enable her to capture the solidly Democratic, East Los Angeles-based seat.

*Update: Assemblyman Ed Hernandez, once considered a possible candidate for the Solis seat, has decided not to run. Instead he has thrown his support to Chu. This should help her with voters on the eastern side of the district.

Chu makes it official

Judy Chu, chairwoman of the state Board of Equalization, announced today she will run for the congressional seat now held by Rep. Hilda Solis, D-El Monte. Solis is President-elect Barack Obama's nominee for Secretary of Labor.

Chu released the following statement minutes ago:

Today I am announcing my intention to run for the seat representing the 32nd Congressional District, parts of which I have represented for the last 23 years.

In the past few days I have received many encouraging calls and e-mails from supporters and constituents urging me to run and I have decided to heed those calls.

I have a long history of being a coalition builder, with a track record of working well with others to fight for change. I have successfully passed bills protecting working class families. I’ve successfully tackled budget deficit problems through my tax amnesty bill, and through my work at the helm of the BOE, the main revenue generating agency of the state of California.

I believe my experience is what this country needs at this most crucial point in our nation’s history.

Over the weekend, the Sacramento Bee reported that the brothers Calderon - Ron and Charles - might have their eyes on the seat as well. But Chu and state Sen. Gloria Romero are the clear favorites, since they have both represented large portions of the 32nd and are better known there than the Calderons. Romero, D-East Los Angeles, threw her hat in the ring within hours of the Solis announcement.

Chu and Romero have had a tense relationship at times over the years. In 1998, the two women faced off in a race for the state Assembly. Romero won out.

Solis for labor secretary*

President-elect Barack Obama has tapped Rep. Hilda Solis, D-El Monte, to be his secretary of labor, AP is reporting:

The Democratic congresswoman was just elected to her fifth term representing heavily Hispanic portions of eastern Los Angeles County and east L.A. She is the daughter of Mexican and Nicaraguan immigrants and has been the only member of Congress of Central American descent.

*Assuming Solis is Obama's choice to head the Labor department, speculation season begins in the 32nd Congressional District on who will run to replace her. State Sen. Gloria Romero? State Sen. Gil Cedillo? County Supervisor Gloria Molina? Board of Equalization member Judy Chu? There's also Assemblyman Ed Hernandez...

UPDATE: Politico confirms the AP report, and includes more background on Solis' union ties.

UPDATE II: Looks like BOE member Chu is interested. From her official statement: "In regards to who will succeed her in Congress, it is still too early to speculate. However, I am considering any and all possibilities." Romero is in, the PSN reports, and Hernandez is interested, too.